Wine storage and preservation device

Abstract

A device for storage of an opened wine container and for preserving wine contained within the opened wine container. A shell is provided having an actuator external thereto, a pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas is located within the shell and a regulator for reducing the pressure of the inert gas from a first pressure at the pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas to a second pressure at the open wine container. The device further includes a valve body biased to reside upon the open wine container and space from the open wine container when the heavier-than-air inert gas is fed through the valve assembly upon actuation of the actuator.

1 . A device for storage of an opened wine container and for preserving wine contained within said open wine container, said device comprising a shell, an actuator external to said shell, a pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas located within said shell, a regulator for reducing the pressure of said inert gas from a first pressure at said pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas to a second pressure at said open wine container, a valve body biased to reside upon said open wine container and spaced from said open wine container when said heavier-than-air inert gas is fed through said valve assembly upon actuation of said actuator.  
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said valve body is biased to reside upon said open wine container by gravity.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said valve body is biased to reside upon said open wine container by springs.  
   
   
       4 . The device of claims  2  or  3  whereby said valve assembly is slidably supported by rails, the orientation of which are substantially parallel to said open wine container.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  whereby said springs are helically wound about at least one of said rails.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein a hollow tubular member is provided extending from said valve body and into said open wine container for communicating said heavier-than-air inert gas to within said open wine container.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said hollow tubular members is characterized as having a length taken along its longitudinal axis a distance measured from said valve body to an anticipated level of wine contained within said open wine container once a single glass of wine has been decanted there from.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said hollow tubular member is further characterized as having a series of perforations extending substantially along its longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said hollow tubular member is provided with a restriction for limiting the flow of heavier-than-air inert gas there from.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said shell further houses means for cooling said open wine container.  
   
   
       11 . A method of preserving wine contained within an open wine container, said method comprising inserting an open wine container within a shell, said shell having an external actuator, a pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas located within said shell, a regulator for reducing the pressure of said inert gas from a first pressure at said pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas to a second pressure at said open wine container, and a valve body biased to reside upon said open wine container, seating said valve body upon said open wine container, closing said open wine container within said shell, actuating said actuator and feeding said heavier-than-air inert gas to within said open wine container and providing a pathway for air contained within said open wine container to escape as said heavier-than-air inert gas is fed to said open wine container.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said shell further encloses cooling means whereby said open wine container is maintained at a user-determined substantially constant temperature.  
   
   
       13 . A device for storage of an opened food container and for preserving food contained within said open food container, said device comprising a shell, an actuator external to said shell, a pressurized source of heaver-than-air inert gas located within said shell, a regulator for reducing the pressure of said inert gas from a first pressure at said pressurized source of heaver-than-air inert gas to a second pressure at said open food container, a valve body biased to reside upon said open food container and spaced from said open food container when said heavier-than-air inert gas is fed through said valve assembly upon actuation of said actuator.